VISITING star jockey Ryan Moore sought clarification on the whip rule before The Everest, which is a maximum of five strikes before the 100m. Marc Van Gestel informed him. “OK,” he said and walked out of the stewards’ room very relaxed.

***

THE Randwick crowd of 40,578 was a ripper, the best this century. And that’s only partly due to the racing. Winx can’t even draw close to that many and she’s the best thing to watch on turf. It just shows what good marketing and promotion can do.

The biggest crowd in more than 15 years packed Randwick for The Everest. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

***

WE were walking into Randwick on Saturday and a bunch of ladies in their 20s were ahead and one of them said, “Oh my God, we’re at The Everest”. The race is all about attracting young people and it’s working beyond what Racing NSW could have dreamt.

LUCKY TIE

PETER Snowden refuses to change ties when Redzel runs and he was wearing his coloured one again on Saturday. “My mother-in-law gave it to me. It’s amazing,” he said.

CHIEF steward Marc Van Gestel pulled all the jockeys with rides in The Everest into the stewards’ room shortly before the race to remind them of their “obligations” ahead of the big race. “We’re racing for $13m so any rider can expect significantly higher penalties (for breaking the rules),” he said. Van Gestel said stewards could fine jockeys up to $100,000 for offences and even take their five per cent share in any prizemoney they earn which his $300,000 to the winning hoop.

***

THE first four in The Kosciusko paid a whopping $95,346.60 and there were a few lucky TAB customers that cleaned up. The pick of them was a punters who outlaid $3 and got back $12,000.

***

HUGH Bowman told stewards drifting Reginald Allen Quality favourite Cristobal deserves another chance after failing to fire when sixth to I Like It Easy. “It’s hard to be too critical,” he said. “Maybe she wants a shorter trip with more speed. It was a very testing track too.”

RISING SUN

THE Autumn Sun firmed in the Cox Plate from $26 to $13 and, if Winx wasn’t around, you would be backing him in to get the job done. He’s a true star as is his jockey James McDonald. Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas win was his first Group 1 since returning from suspension.

James McDonald steers The Autumn Sun to victory in the Caulfield Guineas. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

***

THE industry needs to do more to update track ratings quickly. At 5.25pm on Wednesday the official track rating at Wyong was a Soft 5 even though it had been bucketing down on the central coast all day. Everyone in the region knew it was a heavy track. Josh Parr tweeted “The rain gauge at Wyong Racecourse must be indoors”. If punters are the most important participants in the industry they need to be given up top date information.

***

THERE’S not too many better jumps pictures than this one, showing off what athletes horses are.